In a recent study, a staggering 49 percent of adults say they have fewer than three close friends they confide in, doubling the percentage reported in 1990.

Building Stronger Bonds and Connections

According to the 2023 US Surgeon General’s report on “Our Epidemic of Loneliness and Isolation, about one-in-two adults in America reported experiencing loneliness. And that was before the COVID-19 pandemic cut off so many from friends, loved ones, and support systems.

 

Loneliness is far more than just a bad feeling—it harms both individual and societal health. It is associated with a greater risk of cardiovascular disease, dementia, stroke, depression, anxiety, and premature death.

 

Startlingly, the toll exacted by social disconnection on mortality resembles that of smoking up to 15 cigarettes a day, a sobering revelation. Surpassing the consequences of obesity and physical inactivity, the detriment caused by a society bereft of human connection ripples across schools, workplaces, and civic entities. The diminished performance, dwindling productivity, and waning engagement that result from this isolation are clear markers of a crisis demanding immediate action.

 

The impact on mortality for socially disconnected people is like that caused by smoking up to 15 cigarettes a day and is even greater than risk factors associated with obesity and physical inactivity. And the harmful consequences of a society that lacks social connection can be felt in our schools, workplaces, and civic organizations, where performance, productivity, and engagement are diminished.

 

Given the profound consequences of loneliness and isolation, we have an opportunity and an obligation to make the same investments in addressing social connections that we have made in addressing tobacco use, obesity, and the addiction crisis. This Surgeon General’s Advisory shows us how to build more connected lives and a more connected society.

 

If we fail to do so, we will pay an ever-increasing price in the form of our individual and collective health and well-being. And we will continue to splinter and divide until we can no longer stand as a community or a country. Instead of coming together to take on the great challenges before us, we will further retreat to our corners—angry, sick, and alone.

 

In the midst of this uncertainty, we each possess the power to initiate change within our own lives, cultivating connections and nurturing relationships. The relationships that define us lie dormant as potent sources of healing, concealed in plain sight. They bear the potential to foster healthier, more fulfilling, and productive lives. A single gesture—a warm conversation with a friend, a shared meal, an undistracted ear, a selfless act, an authentic expression—holds the potential to unlock the profound essence of human connection.

 

The challenges of loneliness and isolation loom large, casting shadows over our vitality and serenity. Yet, we possess the tools to respond, to inch toward a solution. By embarking on small, daily strides that reinforce relationships and by supporting initiatives that rekindle communal bonds, we can rise in unison to embrace the present moment. Together, we have the capacity to shape lives and communities that exude robust health and profound joy. Thus, we stand ready, equipping our nation and the world at large to face the trials that lie ahead with resilience and unity.